Saturday, July 9, 2011

On the parts of my route where I jog the whole section, I don't count my steps.  This is the time when I can pray or think.  On the parts where I do count my steps, though, I also have a focal point in the distance.  It helps me stay focused (hence the name :-)).  I make my focal point something God-made, like a tree, rather than something man-made, and I make it the highest thing I can see.  On one section there's a massive oak tree directly in front of me, so that's my focal point.  I actually use the trunk of the tree for the first half of my count and then move up to the leafy part for the second half.  That breaks up the counting and (here's where the spiritual/life lesson gets good) reminds me to keep going and reach higher.  I've been doing this for a long time but just recently realized that above and beyond that massive oak tree, which God put there so it's a good thing, there's another tree, higher than the massive one but not as visible.  That's what I focus on now.  There's nothing wrong with the massive tree, but it's not as high as I could go. 



There's an old song by Steven Curtis Chapman that I partly identify with - See the Glory. Here are the pertinent lyrics:


I never did like the word mediocre

I never wanted it to be said of me, oh, no

Just point me to the top and I'd go over, over

Looking for the very best I could be

Philippians 3:14b-16 - “I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I'm off and running, and I'm not turning back. So let's keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us. If any of you have something else in mind, something less than total commitment, God will clear your blurred vision—you'll see it yet! Now that we're on the right track, let's stay on it.”

(Thanks to my daughter, Brianne, for editing this picture. :-X)

1 comment:

  1. I love this post! LOVE IT! What a great analogy to bring to life God's Word. I love your Jesus heart, Michele.

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